If You Leave
by TheSilentTrowaBarton
Summary: short chapters Basically a story about how everything would be without Mai. very xmas based. Defineatly not my best work. Oh well
1. Chapter 1

If You Leave

A/N: Ok, it's Christmas or what ever you celebrate. 99 most of us sit down and watch one of those really cheesy cartoons where one character decides to leave, and then everything gets ruined. Since Mai is my favorite character,: sighs: I had to give in. The only real difference is, this wont take place during a Christmas event, and there won't be multiple ghosts. I'm thinking just… hm…

No Flames please. Sorry this isn't really a pairing story.

Disclaimer: I don't own avatar. (I'm really getting sick of writing this -- )

Prologue 

"I can get aggravated with you."

Mai jabbed the knife deeper and deeper into the chair where she was sitting. Azula was ranting about their failure _again_. "What's the point? All we ever do is lose the avatar once we have him. And you knew Iroh was going to escape." Mai muttered just a little too loud.

Azula spun around to look at her, "Are you opposing me Mai?" her voice tinged with rage.

Mai rolled her eyes and stood up, "This is pointless. I'm going for a walk."  
Azula walked over to grab her shoulder, but Ty Lee stopped her just short.

"Calm down Azula, Mai's just as upset as we are about losing Iroh and Aang."

Azula stopped and let out a deep heated breath. "Fine." She slumped down onto her earth nation throne.

Mai growled deeply as she flopped down onto her black sheets. Her room seemed even darker today. She looked up at her cage holding her baby ferret-bat. It's beady red eyes looked up at her, "Hey yu-yu." It scratched its big ears with its sharp hairless paws that Ty Lee hated. It's furless tail, ears, and paws deterred the girl so, and Mai could not understand why. (Ty Lee's rhino-dog that she kept at home must have been the most hideous thing Mai had ever seen.) Yu-yu screeched for a moment, then retracted its fangs to it's mouth, noting Mai's current bleakness (though it would, to most, seem constant.) "You look well." It flapped its gray wings for a moment, indicating it's wanting out, and then laid back down in the cage. "I think I'm going to leave for a while. It seems that Azula's fed up with me…" Mai huffed, "That's fine. I'm getting a little irritated myself…" Mai glanced down at the dagger attached to her ankle. "…" Where would she go? Surely she wasn't about to abandon the fire nation, and if she left Azula she wouldn't have much left. Zuko was now within his sisters company, but completely ignored her. She would never be within that grasp of affection she wished for. "I'll think on it." She spoke to the dagger.

She sat up for a moment, and sighed aloud. Crossing her legs, and sitting up straight, she began to meditate as she was taught to in the Fire Nation Academy for Girls. She breathed in deep and began to repeat some odd phrase that Ty Lee had told her to use when practicing meditation, and surprisingly enough this had been the only one to actually calm her down. Mai felt a soft breeze touch her face and she sighed outward thinking over the events of the day that had lead her to this state of aggravation. "If I leave, if I disappear or if I die, would the world blink for a moment in my absence?" She grunted to herself.

"Yes." A voice replied.

Mai opened one of her eyes and barked an instinctive "Go Away." Until she noticed the obvious change in her surroundings. "What?" She looked around slowly at first, left, then right, over her shoulders, then at the man who had spoken to her. "…You're…." She paused for a moment, trying to remember her history lessons that she had so quickly brushed aside during school, "Roku?"

He nodded, "Do not allow yourself to be overcome with ridiculous ideas in a moment of strife child."

Mai stood up and brushed the dirt off her pants. "I'll do what I want thanks."

Roku shook his head. "Come with me." He walked off into the swamp that Aang had passed through, and disappeared.

"…I'm not walking through that." Mai muttered until a shrill roar came from behind her and a large panda like beast stared her down. She glared at it for a moment, then decided to follow. Grunting as she stepped through the swampy muck. "So where exactly am I?" Mai knew full well that Roku could hear her.

"In the spirit realm my child."

"Sure." Mai muttered. "Alright, so what are we going to do while we're here 'oh great Avatar'?" She was already board with the unappealing events.

"You'd be best to watch yourself little one." Roku commented.

"Sorry." She spoke sarcastically.

"Your absence in the world, that's what we are about to investigate."

"…cool." Mai shrugged, realizing that this would confirm her question. If this was merely her mind going into some trance from meditating and just a dream, she was fine with that. She highly doubted her actual being in the spirit world would ever happen, but it was possible. Iroh said he had done it, so why not her? "So…"

"First, I'll show you how your absence will effect the Avatar's world."

A/n:Shrugs: not much to say. No flames please. (I'm having trouble keeping Mai in character in this one.)


	2. Our Eyes Are Heavy Now

If You Leave

A/N: this is the first part of the story. K? No flames what ever. Have fun. (I had a dream that Sokka found a time machine and went to New York and told everyone that he was a wolf so be bought a blue hoodie and Zuko and Iroh went with him to see the statue of liberty. Horay! freakin' dreams.)

Disclaimer: I don't own avatar.

Chapter 1

"Our eyes are heavy now."

Aang shuffled his feet along the edge of the cliff, Katara, Sokka, and Toph followed him, all in the slowed and dull pace. "If we find somewhere to hide, contact everyone, and we'll all make a refuge camp." He mumbled.

Katara looked up at him to say something for a moment then let it drop.

Toph sniffed for a moment then rubbed her eyes, "We lost…"

Aang nodded, "I lost."

Toph sighed, "We all lost something, so we all lost."

Sokka huffed, "Just be quiet guys, it's not worth it anymore."

"Well someone has to talk about it!" Toph sputtered, "My parents were killed! Your family's dead! It's all because of that insane girl! She's power hungry!" Toph shouted.

Katara muttered, "I miss grangran."

Sokka nodded, "I miss dad."

Toph sighed, "See…"

Mai shrugged, "Am I supposed to feel bad for them?"

Roku shook his head, "No. You are supposed to realize something."

"So their families and stuff died, so what?"

"You are the footstool of silence amongst Azula's group. Sometimes the oldest is needed to talk the others down."

"So Azula won?" Mai softly smiled.

"…" Roku shook his head, "That is not the point, after victory, she destroyed all influence of power."

Sokka sighed, "Suki said that Kyoshi is in shambles."

"The water tribe is gone." Katara muttered.

Aang laughed sadly, "The last water bender…"

"There are still those in the swamp…" Katara murmured. "…Though that's not all that great."

"This whole planet's a slave camp." Toph growled.

"What's left of it." Aang coughed, stopping for a moment. "Dang… I miss Appa."

"And Momo." Sokka sighed, "He would find us food."

"You're always hungry." Toph smiled for a moment. Then group let out a sigh.

"How much longer Aang?" Katara asked.

"The air temple is just a few hours away at this point. Once we're there we'll rest for a few days… after that I guess we have to start planning how to fight back…"

Everyone nodded.

"…so?" Mai looked at Roku, "Your point is?"

"The brightest of faces fade without the dark ones there…" Roku concluded, "Including _your_ friends and family."

"…hey." Mai paused, "How's mom and dad?"

Roku nodded.

A/N: oooh this chapter suckkked :D horay! I'm just basically showing you all that Azula went crazy and killed everything. The next chapter is about Mai's family! Then eventually I'll do one on Zuko. (ooooh maiko fans! - see I cant leave him out of anything.) No flames please.


	3. Family Portrait

If you leave

A/N: I've been wanting to get this idea out for a while. I guess just read and review. No flames. (trying to think of something else to fill the A/N) um, I dropped a plate and a jar of honey today. It took me an hour to clean up the honey, mainly cause it was in a glass jar and I had to pick through the honey and wipe the floors down. (Disgusting sticky crap.) My friend that I refer to as 'Ty-ty' has a phobia of glass. :shrugs: my friend that we refer to as 'Azula' loves sharp things and doctors. …ok, there's my interesting comment for you. (I'm getting throwing knives for Christmas.)

Disclaimer: I don't own avatar. (I want to buy one of those fire bender shirts. +)

Chapter 2

"Family portrait" 

The woman constantly seemed to be plagued by fear, in this new world, and the old one.

"Mom's shaking again." Mai muttered.

"She has a paranoia problem." Roku stated. "She's in constant fear for her life after an event from her childhood. Ursa, her, and Ty Lee's mother were on a trip when your mother was taken hostage by some rebels.

"…oh." Mai grew more interested in the story that Roku has to tell.

Her mother walked around the house slowly, "Tomtom?" She asked aloud. "Yen, have you seen Tomtom?"

Mai's father stepped from around a corner, "No, I don't think I have."

"Oh…" She lowered her head. "I can't find him."

The man paused for a moment and walked back into his study, "Ask Jun to find him, I would help but I have to get these documents on the city prepared for the fire lord."

She nodded and walked down the stairs to the main area of the house, "Jun."

The dark haired girl just a year or two older then Mai looked up, "What?" She sounded irritated.

"Have you seen Tomtom?" The woman asked meekly.

"…he was in the kitchen when I was in there." Jun rubbed one of her arms up and down, "You should really keep track of him." Jun scratched her snake tattoo with her red fingernails.

She nodded, "Thank you dear." Mai's mother bowed out of the room. "Tomtom?"

Mai grunted a little, "Jun's never been that nice to mom anyway."

Roku nodded, "But with you there, Jun decided to leave home. Now that you're gone, she has no desire to leave."

"Are you saying that she hates me?" Mai had an irritated look on her face.

"Not at all, I'm stating that, without someone to more or less 'push' her out of the house, she has no motive to seek a better life."

"So all that prodding that I did." Mai muttered.

"Your older sister did in fact listen to you…" Roku smiled.

"…well that's good." Mai mumbled.

"There you are!" She smiled, lifting Tomtom off the floor. "How is my little one?"

Tomtom chewed on his bottom lip, and his sleepy eyes remained on the floor.

"Oh, be happy little one!" His mother rang. She rocked him from side to side for a moment then sighed, "Why don't you smile Tomtom? Mommy would be very happy if you did." She walked back into the room where Jun was sitting. "Can you get your brother to smile?"

"No." Jun stated without thought.

"Please try. He looks so sad." Her voice was beginning to weaken.

"No mom. It doesn't matter, no matter how hard we try, Tomtom is like a sick Knife Fish, he's never going to perk up."

"…I suppose." She sighed.

"…Mom used to call me Knife Fish, is that where it's from?" Mai asked.

Roku nodded.

"Why wont Jun…?"

"Jun did try, when you were a child. That's why you are not without friends now. But with Tomtom, she can do nothing. It doesn't effect him even if she tries."

"….but all she has to do is pull his hair a little and flick him on the nose and then he'll start being a happy brat." Mai sighed.

"Jun doesn't know that. All she knows is to give a child ribbons and objects that shimmer."

"My ribbons and knives?" She thought, "…what about dad?"

"He has no time for his family, and that's why your mother is even worse off now."

"…show me Azula."

A/N:D OMG! I totally have this idea that Jun could be Mai's older sister. Then it would be really funny, because after a while, Jun would have run away from home and that's why Uncle and Zuko didn't know her. :shrugs: that's my idea. This chapter was better to me. Granted there wasn't much depth. (Look I'll give myself more hell then you all.) No flames. If you spent the time reading it and you didn't like it that's your own fault.


	4. I'm crazy

If You Leave

A/N: Almost done, one chapter after this and I'll finish this out. (I have about 6 more stories to write tonight till I take another break from writing again.) (my last break lasted almost a year.) No Flames. This chapter might be a little more …angsty. Maybe. I'm going to complain about how the song "Love me or hate me" is never on the radio N/e more. My friend and I wanted to do a Azula, Mai and Ty Lee AMV to it. (I said it reminded me more of Toph though.) Another thing we used to call them TAM Just cause AMT, ATM, and MAT didn't look right. Then her and I threw a fit when Zuko joined up with them and we started calling them TAMZ and I said it sounded like a tampon company name. So everyone thank Zuko for making the initials for Ozai's angels sound like something you would read on a box of feminine products. RANT OVER (Hot cheetoes are Fire Flakes. -- yes.) (REALLY SHORT CHAPTER!!!!)

Disclaimer: I don't own avatar.

Chapter 3

"I'm Board, Crazy, Delusional… A general."

Azula sat upside down in her throne that they had made for her, "Ty Lee! Look!" Her eyes were cloudy and soft.

Ty Lee nodded after looking around, "I see."

Azula sat upright and folded her hands in her lap, "Zuko says that there's no more battles to fight." Azula's face became bitter, "He's hiding them from me." The ship they were sailing on moaned for a moment, then the girls went back to talking.

Ty Lee shook for a moment, "I don't like fighting."

Azula frowned, "Yes you do."

"Ok." She agreed, realizing that this would become an argument.

"So, they're just a little different." Mai shrugged.

"Watch."

"Ty Lee." Azula asked, "I think we should go start our own war."

Ty lee shook her head, covering herself with her arms in fear, "No Azula! If we did, we might get hurt!"

"Cry baby!" Azula barked. "You're just upset that you don't get to be the general and I do!"

Ty Lee shook her head, "I just want to go home! It's scary here!"

Azula folded her hands, "Ty Lee, if you don't have to fight, just command, is it scary?"

She nodded.

"Well, would you rather be back at home with the Fire Lord?" Azula whispered.

"Wait…" Mai's face twitched slightly. "This is like watching an old man tell a story."

Roku sighed, "Azula's …crazy… and your friend Ty Lee sits in her room all day, trying to hide herself from everything. Instead of becoming strong, they both were sheltered, and are now like small children."

"…so without someone else that was quiet…"

"They took on the task." Roku continued. "Azula has nothing better to do then occupy herself with wasting time at war, and she doesn't really have a train of thought."

"General Azula" A guard spoke, "Your father is here."

Azula jumped up happily, as Ty Lee did too. "Daddy!" She squeaked, running out onto the deck.

"Hooray!" Ty Lee followed.

"This is pathetic." Mai sighed.

"Agreed." Roku stated.

Azula pounced on her father, "How is brother doing?"

Her father nodded as he watched Ty Lee bounce, "Fine." His deep voice sighed.

"So… he isn't running the country?" Mai stated.

"Azula and Ty Lee are basically the only thing he has left… after Iroh's son died, he returned to the country and took the throne."

"Iroh is fire lord?"

"No." Roku stated, "Zuko is."

Mai's smile widened.

"After the day that he spoke up in the fire lords room, he had an agni ki with the general he opposed, and not only did he win, but the man he fought is now turning over in his grave as he watches Zuko burn down the country, person by person."

Mai rolled her eyes.

"Zuko is more of a tyrant without Azula's tormenting from childhood then ever. His temper and blood line have lead to his demise."

"What about Iroh? Why isn't he fire lord?" She asked.

Roku sighed, "Zuko killed him just after he took throne."

"…what?"

A/N: (ooo I cant wait to edit this story more.) (AH! MY NAIL JUST BROKE! TTTT I've been growing my nails so they point like Mai's for about a week now, and they keep breaking+ how do you make them not do that?) yeah, this chapter is reminding me nightmares that I've recalled time and time again. (OOOH dejavu!!!!!) But I really couldn't think of much more for Azula and Ty Lee other then they would be freaks, and basically, Zuko would get rid of them by making them float around at sea for an eternity while going to fight wars. :shrugs: oh well.


	5. I said kill them Get off me Ty

If You Leave

A/N: Last chapter, (thank god.) So this will be Zuko's chapter and the closing.

No flames, and yeah. (hot cheetoes are fire flakes. Start naming food after things from avatar.)

Disclaimer: …I don't own avatar.

Chapter 4

"I said kill them" "Ty Lee, get off."

"Then burn their village to the ground." Zuko commanded. His hair was pulled back into a high ponytail, and his face was without his scar.

"But sir! The village is basically a camp for refugees, the only reason that they cant afford to pay the tax is because they were run out of their village." The man begged.

"…are you opposing me?"

"…n-no sir!" The man bowed more.

"I said kill them. We don't need weeds among this country." Zuko paused, "I shouldn't hesitate to kill you too."

The man bowed harder, "Yes sir."

"Leave" Zuko commanded and returned to sitting poised on his gold throne.

"…so?" Mai asked.

Roku's eyebrow arched, "You see nothing wrong with tyranny?"

Mai shrugged.

"You're difficult. ..How did your parents put up with you?" Roku murmured.

Mai just smirked. "This isn't so bad."

Roku suddenly had a smile come across his face. "Watch"

"Zuko…" A woman with soft brown hair sat beside him. He looked at her for a moment, then returned back to focusing on the flames before him.

"Yes?"

"Don't you think you should be kinder?" The woman meekly placed a hand on his arm and he smacked it away.

"Don't you have somewhere else to be?" He sneered.

The woman frowned, "..no.."

"Where is Sho-cao?" He asked.

"Asleep." The woman's head was bowed.

"Then you sleep too." Zuko commanded.

"Yes dear." The woman stood and bowed, leaving the room.

Mai made a sharp hissing noise as she sucked air in through her teeth.

Roku smirked, "What's wrong?"

"I get it." Mai grunted. "Ok?"

"Really?"

"He's only what, sixteen or seventeen now right?"

Roku nodded with a wide smile.

Mai glared at him, "What's her name? Why is she there?"

"Pai, and that is his wife." Roku couldn't help but chuckle at her dark face.

"Can we go back now?" Mai asked.

"Is that what you would like?" Roku asked.

"…" Mai paused for a moment, "Did I…?"

"You did have an effect on him, yes…"

"Ok."

"You might be one of the only reasons that that boy is so forgiving."

Mai's cheeks grew pink, but her expression changed, "Do I even have a chance?"

Roku smiled, "That is for you to decide."

"HU?" Mai paused and felt a breeze go by her face.

"MAIIIIIIIIIIIII, MAIIIIII, Mai, Mai MAIIIIIIIII!" Ty Lee was screaming in her face.

"Get off." Mai shoved Ty Lee off and sighed, "Where did Roku go?"

Azula laughed, "Really now Mai."

Mai looked up to see her three comrades standing beside her bed. (Well, except Ty Lee, she's still sitting next to her.) "I must have fallen asleep."

Ty Lee shook her head, "You were mumbling, and being angry! It was rather funny!"

Mai smirked a bit, feeling a bit happy to see her, "I had a dream that I saw Avatar Roku."

Zuko frowned, "You went to the spirit realm?"

Mai shook her head, "No, it was a dream."

Zuko crossed his arms, "No, Uncle's been to the spirit realm. Did you fall asleep first, or did you just knock out?"

Mai's voice grew quieter, a new respect for Zuko took a hold of her, "I was meditating, and-"

"Spirit realm."

"oh." Mai's eyes became downcast, though she did not become saddened.

Azula laughed, "Spirit realm. Zuzu, I'm shocked that you would listen to such rubbish."

Zuko shot a glare at his sister and he elbowed her in the side.

Azula "ouched" and smacked him back, "Don't push your luck!"

Ty Lee smiled, "Well, are you feeling better Mai?"

Mai paused for a moment and noticed a familiar shadow pass by the doorway and she quirked a smile, "Yeah. I'm good."

A/N: YEY Mai didn't kill herself! AW cheesy x-mas like fic. :sighs: I just finished this after taking a break to watch Charlie's Angels. XD haha. mawahhaahaha. I kept thinking of Azula, Mai and Ty like everyone else as been saying. it's great. (Tomorrow I'm getting Ty-ty over to watch it.) It actually is like Mai, Azula and Ty Lee. Who would have thought? (The bad guy in the first one reminds me of Jet.) Alright. No Flames, please review if you liked.


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